The invention relates to fault recognition in compressor systems and, more particularly, to fault recognition in systems with multiple circuits.
Compressors and compressor systems are used in air conditioning and refrigeration systems, among others, and are used for various critical functions.
As with all machines, compressors and compressor systems require maintenance and repair. Unfortunately, in some instances, malfunction of a compressor or compressor system is not readily apparent until potentially serious damage has been done to the compressor, and the compressor has failed resulting in interruption of the required air conditioning and/or refrigeration service.
It is clear that the need exists for mechanisms or methods whereby degradation, malfunction or failure of a compressor can be detected in advance, so that preventive maintenance can be taken and potentially catastrophic failure or interruption in service is avoided.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a method for detecting compressor degradation.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a method which is simple and effective to implement in new and existing equipment.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a method which can be implemented to detect system-wide problems.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.